Calgary Opera director Cerny stepping down in January

Only eight months into his tenure at Calgary Opera, the general director and CEO has announced he’s leaving.

Keith Cerny will step down in January to return to Texas, where he has a wife and four children.

“I will cherish the warm reception I received from Calgary Opera and the community, and the collaborations with my colleagues from other arts organizations across Canada. Unfortunately, the travel demands of this position at Calgary Opera have put a much greater than anticipated strain on me and my family back in Texas. As a result, I have made the difficult but personally necessary decision to move on next year.”

Cerny will return to become the president and CEO of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.

He was hired in January 2018 after Calgary Opera conducted what it termed “an exhaustive international search for the right candidate to take Calgary Opera to next level of growth.” A new director was needed as former CEO Bob McPhee retired after 19 years at the helm of Calgary Opera.

“Keith was exactly the person we needed. Everyone liked him. He’s quite a catch,” said incoming board chair Jackie Pyke. “When you hire an expat, there’s always a risk and Keith knew that as well.

“We always knew Keith wasn’t going to be a 15-20 year guy but we were hoping for three or four. But the amount of work he gets done is probably twice as fast as a normal person. To have had him for a year will be tremendous for the organization.”

Pyke said that in the short time he’s been here, Cerny has been instrumental in developing new artistic partnerships and introducing new programming, including the Canadian premiere of Joby Talbot and Gene Scheer’s Everest in 2019, and recruiting legendary tenor Ben Heppner as the honorary chairman of the company’s Legacy Society.

She also noted Cerny’s management background helped put the opera on solid financial footing. “When I said that Calgary Opera is in a much stronger place today than a year ago, that’s absolutely true. Keith and his staff implemented strong foundational work.” Pyke also noted that Cerny has planned Calgary Opera’s seasons well into 2020.

A search for a replacement is underway and Pyke said they’ve already made progress based on the groundwork done to hire Cerny.